Clear cut catastrophe

FIFTH DAY

It was all done and dusted by lunch on Hussey had hoisted the surrender flag with a high lob which no place in this match nor at Wimbledon. Swann in his present mood cannot tolerate tail-enders as bad as the last three Aussie batsman and they cannot fathom him. The result was that England won by an innings and 71 runs just before lunch.

I cannot remember a more comprehensive victory by England against anyone away from home. I guess that Brearley's side had one and certainly Hutton's side - stoked by the fire that came from Tyson - but those I have seen in the last 25 years were snatched in tight games that might have gone either way.

Now for the series. Lets hope for 3-0. The Aussie commentators so remind me of the way Willis and Co used to rattle on in the 1990s which brought players unfit to tread the boards into the side only to be rejected as if somehow it was their fault.

Jo King, stats Qeen, says: It is England's first innings victory in Australia for almost a quarter of a century. Mike Gatting's side won in Melbourne by an innings and 14 runs and only 11 other England sides have won by innings.